Cannabix launches a new breathalyzer to detect recent cannabis use

Could a new generation of cannabis screening tools be on the way? Canadian company Cannabix Technologies Inc. has just released a device designed to detect very recent cannabis consumption.

This technology, called Cannabix Marijuana Breath Test (MBT), aims to fill a major gap in drug testing: identifying recent actual use in a short period of time when the risk of impairment is highest.

A breath-based system

The Cannabix MBT works in a two-step process. First, the user exhales into a portable breath sampler (BCU), which captures a standardized air sample. This sample is then sealed in a cartridge and sent to a laboratory for analysis using mass spectrometry techniques.

According to the technical documentation supplied by the company, the system is designed to detect the delta-9 THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, in breath up to around four hours after consumption. This narrow detection window is at the heart of its positioning, as it targets the period most associated with potential impairment.

The sampling process is presented as non-invasive and standardized, with features designed to reduce user error, including the collection of two samples (primary and confirmation sample) and an ambient air reference designed to control environmental contamination.

However, results are not immediate. Once samples have been taken, they are sent to an accredited laboratory, and the results are generally communicated within 24 to 48 hours.

Cannabix, a breath THC detector

Remedying the limitations of traditional screening tests

One of the main arguments put forward by Cannabix Technologies Inc. and its distribution partners is that existing screening methods, such as urine or saliva tests, can detect cannabis use for several days or even longer. several weeks after consumption. This makes them less effective at distinguishing past from recent consumption.

In a press release, distributor Alco Prevention Canada explained that employers and institutions have long lacked a «reliable tool for detecting recent consumption and assessing an individual's true state at any given time».

The company's management adds that this shortcoming has become more apparent since the legalizing cannabis in Canada, This is particularly true in workplaces where employees use machines or perform safety-sensitive tasks.

The arrival of these THC breath-testing devices is part of a broader trend: that of a search for tools capable of distinguishing between old and truly recent consumption, in a context where the legal framework for cannabis is evolving faster than control tools. Will we finally be able to stop punishing consumers for consumption that is several days old?